Fort Bragg-Great to just visit or live? (San Diego, Santa Barbara: how much, job openings)

[Works for a living]

Originally Posted by missmelissamiss

My two children and I will be moving to Fort Bragg very soon for a job. We are totally excited! We love the small town, the friendly people and no loud thumping music like we hear everyday and night 24/7 in our apartment. This forum is really helpful and I know, for us, we have made the right choice. Now it's just a matter of finding a 3 bdrm house and then moving everything from San Ramon to Fort Bragg. I am not worried though, my dream was to always live at the beach and Here I Will BE!

I have lived in Fort Bragg for almost 50 years and believe me if you live in an apartment here you will for sure hear loud thumping music. I don't live in an apartment and the music from the little cars with loud pipes rattle my windows at all hours of the day and night. Times have changed, this town is dying. Jobs are hard to come by. Law enforcement doesn't seem to address the issues "that is my opinion". This is a VERY expensive place to live. If I didn't own my own home I'd be gone in a heart beat. The City seems to be more concerned about ANOTHER park or path for the tourists than it is about jobs for those who live here. To me, Fort Bragg is on the edge of turning into a City of Welfare and drugs and gangs.

[missmelissamiss]

Thank you for the replies, positive and negative. I will see how things go.

[Haoleman]

I lived in Willits back in the roaring 80's and Pot ran and paid for the town. I remember cops being shot and the threat from Christ church of the Golden Rule's former member Jim Jones group's rumors that they were coming into Willits to kill people! ( this was just a scary rumor. not true). I felt quite uncomfortable for the first few years being an appliance service. Having to go out to the growers area to service appliances. I minded my own business and after I was accepted as "not a narc", everything was fine. Camp arrived and virtually shut down the growers and two of the banks in town closed. Tell them that dope money was all sent out of town! I am opposed to any form of illegal drugs but since I was not involved, I made it not my business. After living in Hawaii for 15 years and now in Lanesboro, Minnesota where we have a 10 room inn that we want to sell, I have considered a similar business in Ft Bragg. My question is how is the tourist trade in Ft Bragg today? Has Mendocino's business spilled over enough to make B&B's viable there or has the real estate just gotten too expensive for an inn to provide a reasonable living for a couple if you need a small mortgage? ( like 30%)

[lawatl]

I'm moving to Fort Bragg in a month or so. I'm looking for suggestions on what neighborhood or area to live in? I would prefer an area with young people and that is close to entertainment (food, nightlife, etc). Thoughts?

[azoria]

Neighborhoods? Entertainment? Nightlife?

Ft. Bragg CA has a population of 7,026 in a land area of 2.73 sq. miles.

Now that means at a leisurely pace you should be able to walk the length of town in about 40 minutes. How many ~neighborhoods~ can there be?

Maybe you're thinking of Ft. Bragg, N. Carolina?

[Jonotastic]

I really didn't like my trip to Fort Bragg. I couldn't imagine living there! The drive there was beautiful, the city was the exact opposite.

[lawatl]

I don't know the area at all. I'm moving there for a job. That's why I'm asking questions. Is there not a city near Fort Bragg that is nice to live in with things to do? Or is that entire area bare and everyone keeps to themselves? From what I understood, Fort Bragg, CA is a touristy place. I thought maybe there would be a few spots people hang out. But, like I said, I know nothing about the area.

[azoria]

You're moving to take a job there? Do tell. Because there hasn't been 'a job' in Ft. Bragg, CA in over 20 years.

I'm impressed. If you have an actual job with an actual income in Mendocino county, you're a lucky duck. Well done. Kudos.

(You want to tell the rest of us what this job is? We're all ears.)

[Jonotastic]

Mendocino is more of the touristy city, which is almost next door to Fort Bragg. However, in terms of living it is still very very very small and limited mixed with cold foggy weather.The "downtown" is quaint, but it can be walking in a couple minutes. Definetly take a trip out there before deciding, it also feels isolated. We were looking at a hotel for sale in Fort Bragg and it was actually a good deal for California, but we couldn't imagine living there, it wasn't worth it.

[MtnSurfer]

This is really an interesting post about much of the CA coast that doesn't get much attention, except by the tourists going through.

So how about towns within lets say a 30-40 mile radius north or south of Fort Bragg - to the North Rockport or Westport and to the South Mendocino down to Point Arena. Are all these small coastals towns very similar? Is the pot culture really still that bad? Or has the law been more effective in some parts? I know Humboldt County deals with similar issues.

Derek